[March 28, 2014]MOSCOW (Reuters) — Russia said on
Friday a U.N. resolution declaring invalid Crimea's Moscow-backed
referendum on seceding from Ukraine was counterproductive and accused
Western states of using blackmail and threats to drum up "yes" votes.

The non-binding resolution passed with 100 votes in favor, 11
against and 58 abstentions in the 193-nation U.N. General Assembly
on Thursday, in a vote that Western nations said highlighted
Russia's isolation.

"This counterproductive initiative only complicates efforts to
resolve the domestic political crisis in Ukraine," the Russian
Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

It accused Western states of using the "the full force of the
unspent potential of the Cold War-era propaganda machine" to whip up
support for the resolution.

"It is well-known what kind of shameless pressure, up to the point
of political blackmail and economic threats, was brought to bear on
a number of (U.N.) member states so they would vote 'yes'," the
ministry said.

Several Western diplomats, however, have said Russia's U.N. envoy
led an aggressive lobbying campaign against the resolution in what
they said showed how seriously Moscow took the U.N. vote condemning
a referendum that led to its annexation of Crimea.